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Sustaining the Governance and Management of the Vatu-i-Ra Conservation Park in Fiji

Marine Managed Area Terrestrial Protected Area Indigenous and Community Conserved Area (ICCA)

Governance Management Effectiveness

Indigenous Peoples Women Harvesters

Rapid Response Grant | 32,654$ Fiji; Pacific 05.07.2020 – 04.07.2021

Vatu-i-Ra Conservation Park

Enhance the management and governance of priority protected areas by addressing existing limitations.

COVID-19 had a large impact on the sustainable financing of the Vatu-i-Ra Conservation Park. The Park is funded through a voluntary fee, which is largely generated from international visitors and when Fiji’s borders closed in March 2020, there was no income generated in 2020 to help support the preservation and operation of the park.

There are four primary changes the project will be able to contribute towards:

Awareness raising activities with communities with customary rights to the Park to build their understanding of: the conservation objectives of the Park; how the Park is managed and benefits for communities; how funds are generated through a partnership with the tourism sector; and how funds are used for park management and to support an education fund for secondary and tertiary students from Nakorotubu District.
Education and awareness raising activities with fishers from within and outside of Nakorotubu District on the VIRCP, to build understanding of the benefits of the Park, how the Park is governed and managed, as well as the management rules that apply. This will hopefully contribute to less poaching within the Park boundaries.
Patrolling and monitoring of the VIRCP to ensure there is compliance with the Park rules, and to address poaching concerns. This includes building the capacity of the recently appointed fish wardens to undertake monitoring and surveillance in close coordination with the Management Committee and the Ministry of Fisheries.
Improve the capacity of the Management Committee to oversee and manage the Park, by providing focused training, assisting with the development of standard operating procedures, as well as opportunities to further implement Park management activities.

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